Synchronous detection system



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1958 NRWN w Il.)

INVENTOR.

BY MW iik@ Afro/wam June 28, 1960 J. K. WEBB 2,943,193

sYNcHRoNous DETECTION SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 vEcToRs oF RECEIVED SIGNAL Ano maEcTloN voLTAeEs I x l l I a K Q x u E L F576 L 1 a-O a e Q y E nEMonuLAToR ouTPuT voLTAGEs INVENTOR. z s 'd0/f4 K w55 L U BY ww@ 79:2 i Wig f evers June 28, 1960 J. K. WEBB SYNCHRONOUS DETECTION SYSTEM Filed May 27, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. l 'd0/i4 IC W88 June 28, 1960 J. K. wr-:BB

sYNcHRoNous DETECTION SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 27, 1958 INVENTOR. dd//A/ MIME BY w.

if MEA/471)' 2,943,193 Patented June 28, 1960 2,943,193 'sYNcinzoNoUs DETECTION SYSTEM 101111K. webb, Utica, N.Y., assigner te the United states of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force Filed May 27, 195s, ser. No. 138,243 7 claims. (01.,250-20) This invention relates to communication receivers and more particularly to receivers including detectors of the synchronous type.

in the synchronous detection process, a `two-phase detection is accomplished in order to derive phase information used to phase lock a local oscillator to its optimum position for fthel received double sideband signal. Basically, the system consists of two basic synchronous detectors with quadrature injection voltages. lThe two audio voltage outputs are compared in an audio phase detector in order to derive phase control information for the oscillator that supplies the injection voltages. lnthe direct conversion receiver, the local oscillator operates at the signal frequency. The detector local oscillator operates at the intermediate frequency of a conventional superheterodyne and phase control information can be supplied to either the intermediate frequency oscillator or the oscillator concerned in the first conversion.

The heart of the synchronous detector is the phase control loop. The oscillator phase control information is derived from the sidebands of a received double sideband signal. An amplitude modulated signal is considered iirst, only for the sake of convenience. The operation of the phase control loop is governed by sideband information and it does not matter whether the sidebands are the product of an amplitude or frequencyl modulation process. The synchronous detector is then an optimum receiver for all signals in which intelligence is conveyed in first order sideband components. Y

The phase detector is comprised of two basic rectiiiers, connected so that their D.C. outputs are of the same polarity and the A.C. input signals are cancelled in the output. his arrangement allows fast response in the phase-control loop while being unaffected by the audio signals themselves. The phase detector output is applied as a control signal to the local oscillator reactance tube to correct for phase errors.

An initial condition of phase lock has' beenassumed. If a double-sideband signal were to be presented to the synchronous detector with its optimum carrier phase position several hundred cycles away, the phase detector would develop an increasing error control voltage until nally a phase lock would be achieved. This cannot be shown vectorially because the frequencies involvedv are constantly changing as the local oscillator approaches a lock point. This process occurs in only a few modulation cycles and is not noticeable with speech transmission. The width over which the phase loop will lock is determined by its bandwidth. The bandwidth Vis purposely made small to prevent carrier capture by interfering signals. 'Ihis anti-capture feature may not appear significant until the receiver isoperated in a crowded spectrum of AM signals. Here, two strong interfering carriers, equally spaced about the operating frequency, will capturethe local oscillator.

Conventional superheterodyne receivers havebee'n considerably complicated by theY use of' several techniques for shaping the IF bandpass to improve the interference 2 rejection. Mechanical filters have been used to obtain steep skirts on the bandpass. Q multipliers and crystal filters have been used to notch the IF response curve in an effort to eliminate interference. devices is entirely unnecessary in a synchronous detection process and an IF bandpass of nearly idea-l shape can be obtained by utilizing post detector audio filtering. Audio fitters are much more stable and less complex than either crystal or mechanical filters.

The interference rejection circuitry utilized in the synchronous detector is basically the same `as isutilized for sideband selection in the phasing method of single sideband reception. The circuitry'then makes the syncliro-` nous detector compatible with single sideband systems. The interference circuitry is comprised of a wideband audio phase shift network having la phase shift of degrees.

In accordance with the present invention a synchronous detectorv adapter is provided. The adapter-receives a signal tuned to appear in a communication receiver IF channel and demodulates the received signal with two RF signals having the same frequency but differing in phasek by 90. Then each-of the demodulated signals (audio) are fed to'separaiterampliers. The audio signals presented to the two amplifiers are 90 out of phase for anyvsingle frequency, but are `in phase if there are two like. sideband components. The amplified audio signals are compared in a phase detector which delivers a D C. control voltage to a reactance tube. The yreactance tube operates in combination with a local oscillator for phase control thereof. Il'he D.C. control voltage applied to Vthe reactance tubeappears .in such magnitude'and' polarity as' to correct the phase of the .aforesaid local oscillator as required. The control of the local oscillator is necessai'ry as it generates the R.F. signal which is utilized to provide the yaforesaidtwo RP. demodulating signals. The correction of the phase is to the position for optimum demodulation conditions. There. are also provided two separate channels for each ,oftheV amplifier output signals. In each of the channels there is a phase shift network.

in the case of a double sideband signal the routput, is taken from one network, but for single sideband use the output signals' from each of the networks are combined, then, thek upper and lower sideband voltages will appear in opposite phases in the output. This allows Vselection of either sideband, whicheve'ris being utilized.

When the amplified audio is taken through the two 'aforementionedy phase shift networks and then combined, interference rejection may be obtained. When the adapter isl locked on a double sideband signal containing interference in the lower sideband, for example, one chan-r nel produces audio resulting from both sidebands and also produces lower'sideband interference, while the other` channel contains only interfering audio. Phase cancellation by combining the output signals from saidV phase shifting networks will remove the interference while still adding the desired information in both sidebands. Other combinations are also possible.

Thepresent invention also provides AGC Iand it is an improvement over conventional AVC, as AVC regulates on carrier information and the present circuit operates on audio'- output independent of modulation percentages.

There is1 also provided means for utilizing the adapter as-a SSB converter. SSB, or either sideband of aDSB, AM, NPM, or PM signal may be selected. i

An object of the present invention is to provide a synchronous detection adapter for a superheterodyne cornmunication receiver.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a communication receiver including a synchronous detecv tor ythereby permitting the utilization of an improvedaudio operatedk AGC circuit.

The use of` Vsuch -2,94s,19s l U A still further object of the present invention is to provide a communication receiver of the superheterodyne type including a synchronous detector adapter which achieves improved interferencel rejection.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a synchronous detector with an improved audio phase detector. p

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a superheterodyne communication receiver, a detector of the synchronous type whose audio phase detector utilizes AGC to prevent over-driving.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cornmunication receiver utilizing a synchronous detector in which means are included to reject either upper or -lower sideband interference.

In the accompanying specication, I shall describe, and in the annexed drawings, show what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of my present invention. It is, however, to be clearly understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described as they are for purposes of illustration only, inasmuch as changes therein may be made without the exercise of invention and within the true spirit and scope of the claims hereto appended.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a superheterodyne communication receiver which includes a synchronous detector system in accordance with the principles of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vector representation of an AM signal;

Fig. 3 is a vector diagram relating phase of injection voltages to demodulator output voltage and polarity;

Fig. 4 is` a vector diagram showing how I and Q audio interference signals are related to upper and lower sideband interference;

Fig. 5 shows an example of addition of sideband components with I shifted 90, leading with respect to Q; and

Fig. 6 shows the schematic diagram of the synchronous detection system which may he utilized to adapt a superheterodyne receiver to synchronous detection.

Now referring to Fig. l, a synchronous detector system is shown which may be utilized to adapt a superheterodyne receiver to synchronous detection. The adapter receives signals tuned to appear in a superheterodyne receiver IF strip. The adapter is connected to said superheterodyne receiver via the second detector tube socket. The IF signal is brought out and fed to terminal 1 of the adapter. This IF signal input is applied to in phase demodulator 2 and also to quadrature demodulator 3. The output signal from demodulator 2 is fed through amplifier 4 and the amplified signal is then simultaneously applied to alpha network 6 and audio phase detector 8. The output signal from demodulator 3 is fed through amplifier 5 and the amplitied signal is then simultaneously applied to beta network 7 and audio phase detector 8. Demodulators 2 and 3 have their local oscillator injection voltages in-phase quadrature to each other. When the in-phase channel local oscillator injection voltage is the same phase as the carrier (transmitted or suppressed) component of the AM signal then, the in-phase or I channel will contain the demodulated signal while the quadrature or Q channel will contain no audio as its injected local oscillator signal is shifted 90 When local oscillator 10 drifts slightly, the I channel will be relatively unaffected but Q channel will produce audio. This will have the same polarity as I channel audio for one direction of local oscillator drift (and opposed polarity for opposite direction of local oscillator drift). The Q channel level will be proportional to the oscillator drift for small errors. By combining the l and Q audio in phase detector 8, a D.C. control voltage is obtained. This control voltage tunes local oscillator 10 by way of reactance tube 9 and re- 4 turns or locks oscillator 10 to the `correct phase, where audio is present only in the I channel.

Audio phase detector 8 delivers a D.C. voltage only when the I and Q audio'signals have in-phase components. A different situation exists when the received signal is either a single sideband signal or a single frequency continuous wave signal. Here the I and Q audio voltages are in quadrature and will cause no phase detector output for phase locking oscillator 10. With no phase-lock, audio appears in both I and Q chan-` nels and alpha and beta networks 6 and 7 respectively, (90 phase shift networks). The audio output signals from alpha and beta networks 6 and 7, respectively, are

' combined and thus provide an audio signal representative of either aforesaid single sideband signal or aforesaid continuous wave signal.

-If I and Q outputs are taken through alpha and beta networks 6 and 7 respectively and then combined, interference rejection may also be obtained. When locked on a double sideband signal containing interference in the lower sideband, for example I channel produces audio resulting from both sidebands and also produces lower sideband interference, while Q channel contains only interfering audio. Phase cancellation by combining the two audio outputs will remove the interference while still adding the desired information on both sidebands. Other combinations are obviously possible.

The local oscillator injection voltages fed to demodulators 2 and 3 respectively, are in phase quadrature to each other. They are produced by utilizing the signal output of local oscillator 10 and feeding it simultaneously to RF phase shift networks 11 and 12 respectively. The output signal from phase shift network 11 is fed to I demodulator 2 and the signal output from RF phase shift network 12 is fed to Q demodulator 3.

A D.C. voltage is obtained from AGC circuit 16, this AGC voltage is obtained from the signal output from audio phase detector 8. It is rectied and fed back to terminal 1. The audio output is derived at terminal 14. Switch 15 isutilized to reject interference. Fig. 2 is a vector representation of a tone-modulated AM signal. The carrier (c) is represented as the fixed reference vector, U and L represent the upper land lower sidebands, rotating in opposite directions with respect to the carrier at the angular velocity of the modulation frequency. Figs. 3a and 3d show the same AM signal as it appears in the I and Q demodulators, with the injection voltages superimposed. In Fig. 3a, the I injection voltage is shown phase-locked to its optimum position. The I demodulator audio output voltage is shown in Fig. 3d. It can be seen that I audio is at its optimum value, and that the Q audio is nulled because of the quadrature relationship of the I and Q injection voltages. The presence of the transmitted carrier is obviously no longer necessary, for in the I channel the injection voltage is identical to the carrier. The carrier phase position then becomes identical to the optimum phase position for the I injection voltage which is shown in Figs. 3b and 3c as a dotted line. The nomenclature associated with the two audio channels in the synchronous detector is then derived from this injection voltage relationship. The I channel injection voltage is in phase with the optimum phase position, and the Q channel injection voltage is in quadrature. In order to receive complex waveforms such as square waves used in digital systems, the demodulated frequency components of the complex waveforms must add in the proper phase relationship. This demands that the component frequencies of the received signal at the detector have the same phase relationship as the transmitter. As has been shown, the synchronous detector positions the locally generated carrier in its optimum position with respect to the sidebands.

Figs. 3b and 3c show the effects of improper oscillator phase the synchronous detector. Figs. 3e and 3f show @943, 1935iLv El thatthe audio components resulting fromdetection with improper phase have polarities determined byA the direction of oscillator drift", and magnitude determined by the phase error. The I audio' is relatively unaffected then by 'small'4 amounts of oscillator drift. It would'l not be necessary for the oscillator alone to drift; the drift could be a combination of effects' from botlr local oscillator andA the received` signal. The received signal maybe shifted in frequency either .by transmitter instability'or supersonic aircraft. Phase control information is then derived from the I and Q' audio signals by comparing them in a phase detector.

Now referring to the interferenceV` rejection' circuit, Fig'. 4a is a vector diagram showing theI" and" Q" injection voltages and an interfering signal (L) in the lower sideband. Fig. 4b shows the resulting I and Q interference `audio signals. They are inquadrature with I leadingl Q. Figs; 4c and 4d are vector diagrams" ofthe upper sideband interference case. Theonly difference that is' noted is that Q leads I. The interference rejection circuitryv is comprised of a wideband audio phase shift network havingsa phase shift of 90"l and is shown in the block dia- Y gram of Fig. l as the alpha and beta networks. The phase of the I and Q audio signals is shifted by 90 and the two are combined either additively or subtractively as shown in Fig. 5. In either case, the interference components in one sideband will be cancelled, while those in the other sideband will be added. The transmittedV information in both sidebands of a double-sideband signal is retained while rejecting interference from either sideband. This is because the I channel contains both interference and desired signal and the Q channel contains only interference. Therefore, the destructive addition will occur only with interference components and have no effect upon `a desired double-sideband signal.

` VNow referring to Fig. 6 showing the schematic diagram 'of thesynchronous detection. system which may be utilized as an adapter for a superheterodyne receiver, the IF signal from the superheterodyne isfed into terminal 1. The IF signal is fed simultaneously into I demodulator and Q demodulator. The I demodulator is comprised of vacuum tubes V1 and the Q demodulator of tubes V2. The I and Q demodulators are of the product detector category. The I and. Q demodulators simultaneously receive local injection voltages. The local injection voltages are in phase quadrature. The local injection volt'- age is generated in conventional local oscillator which is comprised of V5. The 90 local oscillator phase lshift is obtained from two 45 phase shifts through C24, R35, R36, `C22 4and C23. The output signals from the I and Q demodulators: are fed through their respective I and Q amplifiers. The I amplifier is comprised of tube V3A and the Q amplifier of tube V33. From the I amplifier the signal is fed simultaneously to the alpha phase shifter and to the audio phase detector through phase inverter tube 4A. The alpha phase shifter is comprised of tube VqA. The signal from the Q. amplifier is fed simultaneously to the beta phase shifter and through phase inverter, tube 4B, to the audio phase detector. The beta shifter is comprised of tube Vf/B. lf. anV error signal is derived in the audio phase detector it is fed to conventional reactance tube V9 and from there it is fed to V5, the local oscillator.

v The phasel detector .circuit is comprised of' two basic rectifiers, connected so that their D C. outputs are of the same polarity and the A.C. input signals are cancelled in the output. This arrangement allows fast 'response in the phase-control loop whiley being unaffected by the nel audio, depending on thefposition of switch Sg. When the local oscillator is synchronized or locked ena-signal, audio resulting from both upper and lower sidebands appear at I channel output and nok sideband audio appear-sV Upper sideband interference mayv be similarly rejected byswitching to reject upper. The Q channel has no components of the desired doublel sidebandsignal, so it f cannot cause` cancellationof the' desired audio from either sideband, When the local oscillator is' unlocked by grounding the audio phasedetector output (AFC off), audio appears in both" I and Q channels and the adapter becomes a SSB converter. SSB, or either sides bandof a DSB, AM, NPM, orPM- signal vmay be selected.

audio signals themselves. 'lhe phase detector output voltage appears at TF3 and is applied as a control signal to the local oscillator reactance tube to correct for phase errors.

Tubes V7 and V8 and their associatedV networks are conventional 90 audio phase shift networks. The net- Works provide Q channel interference audio 180 out This interference rejection feature mayd also be utilized to improve CW reception. e

The AGC circuit is comprised of tube V6. It receives an audio signal from the audio phase detector and the AGC voltage is fed back to input 1 and thus to the IF strip of the superheterodyne being adapted to synchronous detection. The AGC circuit vworks with alll the aforementioned types of signals. The attack Itime is controlled by R50 and C34 and the. release time is Ycontrolledfby C34 and the resistance looking back into the superheterodyne receiver. AGC asv utilizedjis superior to conventionalV AVC, as AVC regulates on carrier information and this circuit operatesi'on audio output independent of modulation percentage.

Other objects and advantages of my present invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which the same relates.

What is claimed is:

'1. In a system for adapting aY superheterodyne communications receiver to synchronous detecti0r1, means to apply the intermediate frequency signal from said superheterodyne receiver simultaneously to the input of two channels, vdemodulator means at the input of each channel, each of said demodulator means also receiving an injection voltage, said: injection' voltages being in phase quadrature, each of said demodulators producing. an audio 'output signal whenever in-phase components of saidintermediate frequency signal and said injection signal are'present therein means toy amplify the audiowdemodulated signal in each of said channels, audio phase detector means to compare the phase of the said amplified signals to each other, said audio phase detector means adapted to receive each of said amplified audio signals at a separate input and operating to produce a direct current control output signal of the proper polarity only when Aeach ofv said demodulator means contain said irl-phase components, means to Vcontrol said injection voltages by utilizing said `dii-ect* current control signal, means to rectify a signal received by way of said audio phase detector means, said rectified signal being applied to said input of saidtwo channels, means to shiftV the phase of each of said 'audio amplified signals, and means to -selectsad phase shifted; audio signals to provide an audio `output signal representativeof saidv input intermediate frequency signal.

- v2. In a system for adapting a superheterodyne cornmunications receiver to synchronous'detection, means to apply the intermediate frequency signal from said superheterodyne communications receiver to the input of two channels, demodulator means at the input of each of f said channels, oscillator means generating an injection voltage, -two phase shifting means receiving at their inputs said injection voltage, one of said means shifting astrales,

said injection voltage plus 45 degrees, and being then fed to one of said demodulators, the other said phase means shifting said injection voltage minus 45 degrees and then being fed to the other of said demodulators, each of said demodulator means operating to produce an audio output signal whenever in-phase components of said intermediate frequency signal and said injection signal are present therein, audio phase detector means havingtwo inputs, each of lsaid inputs receiving an audio signal from its corresponding demodulator means, s aid audio phase detector means operating to convert said two audio signals into a direct currentcontrol signal of the proper polarity only when said demodulator means are in receipt of said in-phase components, means to control said oscillator by utilizing the direct current control signal resulting from said audio phase operation means, means to rectify a further signal provided by way, of said audio phase detector means, means to apply said rectified signal to control said intermediate frequency signal at said input of said two channels, means to phase shift each of said audio signals fromV each of said demodulator means, and means to combine said phase shifted signals to provide an output audio signal solely representative of said intermediate frequency signal.

3. In a system for adapting a superheterodyne communications receiver to synchronous detection, means to apply the intermediate frequency signal from said superheterodyne communications receiver to the input of two channels, demodulator means at the input of each of said channels, oscillator means generating an injection voltage, two phase shifting means receiving at their inputs said injection voltage, one of said meanstshifting said injection voltage plus 45 degrees, and being then fed to one of said demodulators, the other said phase means shifting said injection voltage minus 45 degrees and then being fed to the other of said demodulators, each of said demodulators operating to produce an audio signal when in receipt of said injection voltageV and said intermediate frequency signal having in-phase components, audio phase detector means having two inputs, each of said inputs receiving an exclusively audio signal from its corresponding demodulator means, said audio phase detector means operating to convert said two audio signals into a direct current control signal only when both of said demodulator means are in receipt of said inphase components, means to rectify an exclusively audio signal also provided by way of said audio phase detector means, said rectified signal being utilized to control said intermediate frequency signal appearing at said input to said two channels, a pair Yof audio phase shifting means to shift each of said audio signals received from each of said demodulator means, and means to select an audio output signalsolely representative of said intermediate frequency signal by utilizing each of said audio phase shifted signals in combination.

4. In a system for adapting a superheterodyne communications receiver to synchronous detection, means to apply the intermediate frequency signal from 4said superheterodyne communications receiver to the input of two channels, demodulator means at the input of each of said channels, oscillator means generating an injection voltage, two phase shifting means receiving at their inputs said injection voltage, one of said means shifting said injection voltage plus 45 degrees, and being then fed to one of said demodulators, the other said phase Ameans shiftingsaid injection voltage minus 45 degrees and then being fed to the other of said demodulators, each of said demodulator means producing an audio signal when in receipt of said intermediate signal and u said injection signal both said signals having in-phase components, a pair of means .to amplify each of said audio signalsmeans to phase compare each of said amplied audio signal to the other, said phase comparison means supplying a direct current control signal only when said phase comparison means is in receipt of said pair of amplified audio signals, means to control said oscillator by utilizing the direct current signal resulting from said phase comparison, means to rectify an exclusively audio signal provided by way of said phase comparison means, means to apply said rectified signal to control said input intermediate frequency signal, a pair of means to phase shift each of said amplified audio signals, -and means to select said phase shifted audio signals to provide an audio output signal representative of said input intermediate frequency.

5. Ina system for adapting a superheterodyne communication receiver to synchronus detection as defined in claim 1 wherein said selecting means includes phase controlling networks connected to be selectively operable in parallel circuitry to reject signals interfering with said input intermediate frequency signal.

6. In a system for adapting a superheterodyne cornmunication receiver to synchronous detection as defined in claim 4 wherein said selecting means includes phase controlling networks connected to be selectively operable in parallel circuitry to combine each of said phase shifted audio signals to reject any Asignals interfering with said intermediate frequency signal.

7. In a system for adapting a superheterodyne communications receiver to synchronous detection, means to simultaneously apply the intermediate frequency signal therefrom to the input of a pair of demodulator means, oscillator means generating an injection voltage, a pair of phase shifting means receiving said injection volt,- age, one of said phase means shifting said injection voltage plus 45 degrees for application to one of said pair of demodulator means, the other said phase means shifting said injection voltage minus 45 degrees for application to the other of said pair of demodulator means, each of said demodulator means operating to produce an audio signal in response to in-phase components of said inter mediate frequency signal and said phase shifted injection voltage, a pair of means to amplify each of said audio slgnals from each of said demodulator means, audio phase detector means receiving at separate inputs each of said amplified audio signals, said audio phase detector means providing a direct current control signal in re# sponse only to a pair of amplified audio signals, reactance tube means solely responsive to said direct current signal, said reactance tube means controlling said oscillator means, means to rectify an exclusively audio signal also provided by said audio phase detector means, said rectified signal being utilized to control said input intermediate signal, a pair of means to shift the phase of each of said amplified audio signals, and means to combine said phase shifted audio signal to provide an audio output signal representative of said input intermediate frequency signal while rejecting undesirable components thereof.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Practical Single-Sideband Reception, by Norgaard in QST July 1948, pp. 11-15. 

